Atlas: From Molehills To Mountains

1: Kondracki station

"Three, two, one, drop," a voice says over the loudspeaker as the ship shakes violently before settling, "lady's & gentlemen welcome to Galactic Gateway Kondracki. We hope you enjoyed your time aboard the Infinite Summer & do hope you return to us. Please gather your things & ready yourself to disembark."

Adriana stood from her bed 'here we go' she thought to herself. Her bag was packed already and had been for a few hours now. As she opened the door to the hallway. she was greeted to a view of an infinite black void surrounded by a glowing purple ring held by chains of light to the four spires jetting from the core of the space station. The core of this black void was unnerving, just as black and cold as the space outside the purple ring but darker as all the stars that should be visible where eaten by the gateways blackened maw. Docking arms branches from the stations equator holding dreadnoughts, massive Titan class Atlas warships that stretched on for a miles. "A titan class dreadnought, I've seen those things block out the sun, but next to the gateway station it looks like a toy" she said aloud not realizing it having been distracted by the size of the station. "First time seeing a gateway?" A voice asked her. Turning to see an old man weathered by time, "No actually I've seen a few during deployments but it's still hard to understand the size of them." She says with a smile noticing the mans badge of service, "You served, didn't you?" She asked hoping for a good story as they walked towards the main docking ring. "Oh no I never served this was my fathers he passed away on duty & I wear it on his death day in remembrance," he says with a sigh & a smile as he pulls the badge to look at it. "That's very honorable to want to remember him for his service, do you remember what he did in service?" "Oh no that was far to long ago to remember the details but I do remember a few things, he was an Olympian, an Everest for an Olympian Task Force. But his ship was ambushed by Sun troops. When the ship was found & scavenged they found him still in his armour surrounded by dead Sun soldiers & even a couple of specialists," he says with a laugh falling into a a dry cough, "my dad was one hard headed bastard." "Sounds like he was one hell of a soldier & a father." Adriana admired as she continued to walk with the man, "thank you for sharing with me, I was just accepted as an Olympian myself to India-41." She said excitedly as they passed through the docking ring.

As they stepped onto kondracki station two Atlas GreyMen flanked Adriana & the old man, "Ms. Petroc we are here to escort you to Dock 14 & aboard the Edge Of Elysium where you are to meet with the rest of the Commanding officer of India-41." The first Greyman said with a cold robotic voice changer that all of them used to make them all seem the same.

"Well this is where we must part ways," Adriana sighed taking the old mans wrinkled hand & smiling," thank you for telling me about your father." The GreyMen flanked Adriana as they escorted her people clearing out of their way almost instinctively, this felt strange to Adriana she's never been escorted like this let alone had people part in front of her & watch her pass. "Olympian" the people kept muttering as she passed, "thats her" she could hear through the shuffling of the crowd. 'I knew olympians where great but. I didn't know that the public viewed them like this...' she thought to herself.

"This way," one of the GreyMen had said, showing her onto a private train that would take them to dock 14, "it'll be a 97 minute ride to dock 14. We will be there on the other side waiting for you."